Good questions.
What if one wanted to buy the smallest basic no-frills car which one
would use primarily for weekly grocery shopping and occasional doctor
visits which are closeby? Then, about twice a month, I need to take a
longer drive.
Durability is the top priority since going in for repairs is something I
want to avoid at all costs.

It's a boring car, but the Honda Civic still seems fairly
bulletproof.
Look at the Hyundai Accent. Nice to drive and fantastic warranty.
The Kia Rio is the same car.
I'm also quite fond of the Chevrolet Sonic hatchback.

The Chevrolet Cruze is a decent car, too. We owned one for six
months (part of a retirement package). I would have gladly kept it
except that we didn't need another car, and so we sold it to someone
who's equally happy with it now.

I don't know - I can't be bothered paging through slideshows to read
a list of cars. But when it comes to "check engine" lights, there
are many variables, and one of them is age. An older vehicle is
probably more prone to it. So I would expect a 2002 to be more
likely to have a check engine light problem than a 2012.

Concerning that article, a reader responded:
- You won't see any BMWs on this list. The value of these cars drops
faster than Kim K's panties at a rapper convention...
And the responses to THAT included:
- Now I want to go to the next rapper convention! LOL!
- Kim K wears panties??

My friend is buying a new car. She doesn't want one with parking
sensors "because I can't stand all the noise they make," while a
backup camera is "too distracting."
I am biting my tongue very hard and not pointing out to her all the
bumps and scratches on her bumpers from where she's tapped poles,
buildings, and other vehicles when trying to park her current car...

I don't really use the backup camera when parking the car, because I
prefer to use the mirrors, but I like it when I'm backing into a
space where there's a car in behind. Sometimes it can be tough to
figure out how far to back in, because you can't see your own trunk
on most cars.
I also have a tendency, when backing in, to not back in far enough.
I'm afraid of tapping the car behind and I always leave far more room
than is necessary.

Jil, if you are still reading here: which would you buy, Volvo XC40
or Infiniti Q30 or Q50?
Or stepping down a bit, Mazda CX5 vs Honda C-RV?
My dilemma: I've been driving my Z for 12 years now. I love it. But
it's definitely a fun-mobile, and it would certainly be more practical
to have something where I could carry the dog if need be, plus have
more room for carrying stuff, from groceries to luggage, in general.
Maybe a better "aging in place" kind of vehicle.
That said: in 12 years, the Z has about 36,000 miles on it. It's
been mostly a summer car, plus some errand-running in winter, but it's
not the family long-distance cruiser by any means. Putting 3,000 or so
miles per year on a car might argue for buying used, perhaps, no?
I like fun-to-drive, good looks, latest technology and safety
features, and definitely comfort for long drives. Plus quiet, well-
insulated against road noise, is a good thing. I find the driver's
seat in the Z perfectly comfortable; my usual passenger tells me the
passenger's seat is not that great. But he's not the passenger very
often, so... Anyway, wouldn't be a bad thing to have more comfort for
the passenger, but absolutely must have good seating for the driver.
What do you think?

The XC40 is very new and I haven't driven it yet. I like the Q30 and
the Q50, although for me, because I don't need something big, I'd go
more towards the Q30.
I like the CX-5 over the CR-V. They're both good, but I like the
driving feel of the CX-5 more. The CR-V feels a bit old and heftier.
Keep in mind that I only drive them when they're new, and I don't have
a lot of input on how reliable they are and how they age over the long
run.

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